Microblog Memes

A charitable interpretation is because a list-making app can provide richer functionality than a basic text document by allowing you to check things off as you pick them up.

A grocery-specific list app could be even more tailored. It could, for example, automatically group items you add by produce type (fresh, tinned, frozen) or allow you to define a template for common items you want to purchase on every shop.

A less charitable interpretation is that some people don't tend to think "what tool is appropriate to solve this problem?" and look at what they already have installed, but instead present the problem and expect a solution will be delivered. So people go on the app store and type "grocery list" and just install whatever comes up. The same happens for every other life problem they want to solve, which is why these people have 200 hyper-specific apps on their phones.

Some people will fall into group A, and some into group B.

Personally I use Joplin for all my note-taking and listing needs. It's a pretty basic markdown editor but is cross-platform and has custom backends for storage, so my notes can be stored privately and synced to all my devices. Markdown is obviously less featureful than a proprietary app format but is portable, and you can easily export all your data without being tied forever to Joplin if circumstances change. I would recommend it if you need a notes app.